November 14, 2018 Fantasy Sports / NHL / Sports Betting

FanDuel Strikes Deal with NHL as Official Sports Betting Partner

Via joint press release, FanDuel announced its partnership with the NHL, unveiling its multi-year deal as the official daily fantasy sports partner and sports betting partner.

The partnership is not the first of its kind for the NHL, as the organization announced a comparable agreement with MGM Resorts International shortly before its FanDuel partnership.

The NHL’s strategy to cozy up with sports betting giants is a sharp turn away from its previous views on the gambling practice. Back in 2016, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated …

November 7, 2018 Contract / Fantasy Sports / Gambling / NBA / NHL

NHL Partners with MGM

On October 29, 2018, the NHL announced a partnership with MGM Resorts International and became the second North American sports league to reach a partnership with the professional sports betting operator. As per the terms, the NHL officially designated MGM Resorts as the official sports betting partner of the NHL. Specifically, the deal allows MGM Resorts to host NHL promotional opportunities and establishes MGM Resorts as an official resorts partner of the NHL. Further, the deal provides MGM Resorts access to the NHL’s proprietary game …

September 4, 2018 Concussions / Litigation / NHL

Judge Dismisses Former NHL Enforcer Michael Peluso’s Lawsuit

On August 24, 2018, Judge Susan Richard Nelson dismissed Mike Peluso’s lawsuit against the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, and the Chubb Group. As we have previously reported, Peluso, a former NFL player who played professionally for nine seasons, sued the Devils, Blues, and their insurance company, the Chubb Group, claiming that they intentionally hide the dangers he faced from continued head injuries. After his retirement in 1998, the long-term effects of his role as an enforcer and the resulting brain injuries formed …

July 30, 2018 Class Actions / Concussions / Litigation / NHL

Former NHL Players Will Not Appeal

Michael Cashman, a Minnesota lawyer representing former NHL players who filed lawsuits against the NHL, said that the former NHL players would not appeal United States District Judge Susan Richard Nelson’s decision. As we have recently covered, Judge Nelson declined to certify a class of thousands of former NHL players who sued the NHL. The player claimed that the league failed to inform them of the health risks caused by concussions and head-related trauma, even though the league had knowledge of such information. Judge …

July 19, 2018 Class Actions / Concussions / NHL

NHL Players Denied Class Certification

On July 13, 2018, United States District Judge Susan Richard Nelson declined to certify a class of thousands of former NHL players who are suing the NHL. As we have previously reported, several former NHL players sued the NHL claiming that the NHL failed to inform them of the health risks caused by concussions and head-related trauma even though the league had knowledge of such information. The players filed for class certification, but Judge Nelson refused to certify the class because the applicable law …

July 6, 2018 Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / MLB / NBA / NHL / Trademark

Major Sports Leagues Band Together Against Merchandise Counterfeiters

Three major sports leagues, among others, have recently banded together to put an end to a purportedly massive online circuit of sports merchandise counterfeiters using the leagues’ distinctive trademarks. On July 2, 2018, NBA Properties, Inc., MLB Advanced Media, L.P., NHL Enterprises, L.P., IMG College Licensing, LLC, and the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (Plaintiffs) filed suit against an undisclosed list of foreign defendants for alleged trademark infringement.

Plaintiffs contend that the online stores are selling their products by using their distinctive …

July 3, 2018 Concussions / NHL

UPDATE: 7th Circuit Declines to Revisit its Decision in Late NHL Player’s Wrongful Death Suit

On June 25, 2018, a panel of three 7th Circuit judges voted to deny a rehearing in the wrongful death suit filed on behalf of the late NHL player, Derek Boogaard. As we have continued to cover since 2013, the case was originally dismissed largely due to procedural and technical defects, rather than the merits and alleged facts of the case.

Boogaard died in 2011 following an accidental overdose of pain medication and alcohol. He was 28 years old. A posthumous diagnosis revealed that Boogaard …

June 27, 2018 Concussions / NHL

Former Players Sue the NHL

On June 21, 2018, former NHL players Dan Carcillo and Nick Boynton filed a lawsuit against the National Hockey League. Carcillo played 429 games in the NHL for the Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, and the Chicago Blackhawks. During those games he was involved in 149 fights and numerous on-ice scuffles. Boynton played 605 games in the NHL for the Boston Bruins, Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Philadelphia Flyers. During those games he was involved …

June 18, 2018 NHL

Update: Garcia-Tatupu v. NFL Player Retirement Plan

On June 8, 2018, the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan and the NFL Player Supplemental Disability Plan (defendants), an ERISA-governed multiemployer pension plan which provides retirement and disability benefits to eligible NFL players and their beneficiaries, asked the First Circuit not to reverse the lower court decision that the NFL’s retirement board properly denied claims made by the ex-wife of a late New England Patriots player, Mosiula F. “Mosi” Tatupu.

As we have previously covered, more than four years after his 2010 …